Thieves’ Gambit - Kayvion Lewis
5✨
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, I haven’t read The Inheritance Games or seen Oceans eleven. And I was pleasantly surprised, I do love suspense books, ones that keep me on my toes and those with twists I didn’t see coming. This book has all of that and more! I must say that one of the twists at the end had my jaw drop to the floor because my gosh I did not see that one coming!
I loved that they traveled around the world for the game/heists it made it all more interesting and fun. The fact that they had these well known crime families that sort of “ruled” each continent was also a nice touch! I am personally NOT a criminal so I can’t tell you how authentic all of the stealing and criminal enterprises are, but from my obsession with the Despicable me and Minions movies that I have watched way to many times, I can say it seems legit. Anyway here is what I would say you will get from this book,
💎Suspense
💎Betrayal
💎May the best thief win
💎Heist competition
💎Kidnapping
💎Action packed

I can’t wait for the next book, because hello? You can’t just leave us hanging like that!
Thank you NetGalley, Kayvion and Penguin young reader’s group for this ARC, I am leaving this review voluntarily 💕

This was such a fun read! The blurb intrigued me because Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Eight were two of my favorite movies growing up. I also really enjoyed The Inheritance Games trilogy, and this book definitely gave off some of those vibes.

I adored all of the characters. This book gave off major found family vibes that I really enjoyed. I can’t wait to see more of this friend group in the next book! I’m also looking forward to reading more about Ross and Devroe after that insane ending! The tension between those two is going to drive me crazy.

Those heists were so much fun to read about! I couldn't put my Kindle down, I was so anxious to see what would happen next. Some of the plot was predictable, but that didn't stop me from being shocked by the plot twist at the end. It definitely made me want to immediately pick up the next book! I'm sad that I have to wait until November 12th, but know that I'll be waiting impatiently.

4.5 stars Excellent, fast-paced heist/quest/contest story, with multiple well-developed characters. One point of view narration. Light romance, family drama. I appreciated all the twisty turns of the plot, including several that will likely surprise readers who aren't as familiar with the tropes of the genre (which were winked at throughout—very fun.) Clever, punchy dialogue and very Oceans-11 vibe. Loved all the diversity, with characters’ heritages & histories woven smoothly into the text. Impressive levels of complications in the tasks they have to perform and how they handle it.
I only struggled with two things: 1. Sometimes I had to work to keep up my suspensions of disbelief. I’m not talking here about the action-stuff, either. If you’re going to read a thriller about teenage master thieves, you’d better be prepared to nod along at their ability to jump from balcony to balcony or whatever. I had a harder time accepting the likelihood of our heroine being such a decent person at heart when raised the way she was. However, it did make for a heroine I could root for. 2) The other issue for me was for the suddenness of the ending. I read this in one day—page-turning writing—and the abrupt ending felt jarring. I wanted more of her reaction to what she's learned. But I know not everyone wants as much wrap up as I like.
Overall, by the end, the main plot was wrapped up, we got our answer of who won and lots of other neat reveals at the end… all great! And the last line is perfect. Luckily, there was definitely a book 2 set up nicely here. In fact, I just learned that it is coming out in November, so I’ll definitely pick it up to see what happens. So I guess the emotional cliffhanger ending worked. Lol Good job, Kayvion Lewis!
(PS - DO NOT read the blurb of book 2 before reading book 1 if you want a totally unspoiled read.)

En bref, j'ai aimé l'intensité des personnages et de tout ce qui leur tombe dessus, Ross est une voleuse, menteuse et manipulatrice efficace mais elle va se mesurer à des personnes de son acabit. J'ai apprécié de la voir se battre pour ce qui compte pour elle, les mots nous entrainent très facilement à sa suite et je ne me suis pas ennuyée une seule seconde, bien au contraire. Certaines choses se devinent assez facilement alors que d'autres vont nous scotcher et j'ai hâte de voir ce que la suite va donner étant donné les choix finaux. Vivement mais en attendant, foncez en librairie le 1ier février !!

3.5⭐️

Fast paced book with thieves and heist, and an inter plot line, perfect for fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes. The ending of this book has me gripping for the next one, and I can’t wait to see the direction this book series takes.


*Spoiler part of review*

I would have really liked more content with Mylo and I wish he had more scenes since he and Kyung-soon were my favourite characters. I also feel like Nicholi could have been a great character if he was more involved, rather than a decorative piece to give the FMC a mission/ person to protect. The ending/ ‘big plot twist’ was HIGHLY predictable, as was most of this book, but still didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

A question I had when I finished was what was going on with Taiyō? How did he get so good with no mentors and why was his target the same as Ross? Hopefully that’s answered in the second book.

Liked it. It really did remind me of the inheritance games. I will have to ask my daughter to also check it out… thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.

This was a fun read.
Rosalyn is a 17 year old girl raised by her mother who also,happens to be a well known thief along with other members of her family.
She wants to escape this life and just be a normal teenage girl,she has it all planned out! But, unfortunately her mother is kidnapped and Rosalyn’s life is turned upside down. She must now compete with other thieves in the thieves gambit,so she can rescue her mom.
It was fast paced and definitely a fun ride. I enjoyed the romance and plot twist.
It was hard at times to keep up with all the different characters.
Also, at times I was unclear about the different relationships among the characters.
But,overall it kept me trying to figure out what was really going on and there were parts that I figured out but I’m an adult reader and I’m not sure if a younger reader would catch on to what was really going on.
I enjoyed how enemies became friends and they learned to work together when needed.
I’m definitely reading the next book as I need to know what happens to Rosalyn (Ross) and Devroe because the ending in this one made me want more!
4 star read for me and thanks Net Galley for loaning me the book for free!

This was an incredible start to a new YA thrilled series!
Ross Quest was raised with one rule: You can only trust family. When Ross is thrust into a dangerous competition to save her mother's life, she has to decide if she's willing to break that rule in order to win.
I recommend this for:
• Fans of a Good Girl's Guide to Murder and also Portrait of a Thief
Readers looking for a thriller with just a
*dash* of romance
* Fans of books set in multiple, exciting locations

Heist plots are my absolute favorite, but it’s so hard to get the balance right. The right amount of tension and action and detail without losing the reader and weighing down the plot. Lots of twists and turns make this just so much fun! One of my favorite books this year. This novel held my attention with its fast pace

This book had a lot of problems, but despite that I found myself enjoying it immensely. I loved that it was fast paced, it had a smaller cast of characters to leave room for their development, and constant travelling around the world really helped keep up the pace.

A surprising highlight of this story was the rivalry between Rosalyn and Noelia, and how that developed over the story. I liked that they had history, used to be friends and became rivals, and what happens when they finally get a moment to discuss what happened to break the friendship.

There was a sizeable plot hole that I'm not sure was answered at the end of this book, so this will need a re-read before the sequel to work out if I'm wrong. However the twists at the end really did surprise me, and made me excited to see what would happen next.

This book had a great plot and was entertaining. It did feel slightly unpolished but not enough for me to not enjoy the book. I am looking forward to book 2

Rosalyn "Ross" Quest is a seventeen-year-old master thief, who wanted nothing more than to go to school and be an ordinary teenager. Her plans to run away from home are foiled when she is invited to join a high-stakes thieving competition, and her mother gets kidnapped. Accepting the invitation to the competition is the only way to save her mother: the kidnappers want a billion dollars, and if she wins the competition, she can give them just that.

I enjoyed this one way more than I thought I was going to! I loved the rivalry and the high stakes that the premise of the story created. It is super fast paced, with creative, competitive teenagers taking the reins. I enjoyed the character dynamics as well; they're teenagers who aren't completely jaded with life, but know that the people they're surrounded by are deceptive and want to win the competition at any cost.

Some plot points require you to buy-in to the story it's trying to tell, and require a bit of suspension of belief on occasions. There are so many plot twists revealed at the end that you need to keep up with, but most make sense if you were paying attention.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this one! All opinions are my own.

A Quest can only trust another Quest...right?
I loved this book. The representation, the tension, the drama, the romance! I enjoyed every moment of this fast-paced, high-interest read. I recommended it to students this past year, and I added it to a list of summer reading choice book reads presented to our district. I am so excited to hear what students thought of it. There is a second book coming out in the fall in this series, and since Thieves' Gambit ends on a thrilling cliffhanger, I cannot wait to read the next installment.

This definitely scratched the itch for a Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Six of Crows-esque action heist novel.

Although some plot points were predictable, overall the novel was able to keep things interesting and fresh. I loved the rivalry between Rosalyn and Noelia, and although she acted super unhinged, the romance between Rosalyn and Devroe was very intriguing.

My only complaint is that the pacing felt a bit off - I think developing Rosalyn's relationship with her mother at the start of the novel would've really helped me feel more connected with her motivations.

I definitely think this book will look so good on the big screen and that they'll be able to smooth out the kinks. It was super bingeable and a very easy, fun read. I'm super excited for book 2 & the potential movie adaption!!

The only life that Ross and her family has ever known is the world of thievery, trained from a young age to commit professional heists, she desires to live a normal life but her mom stands in the way of it. When a heist goes wrong, Ross enters a competition, thieves’ gambit, to save her family. Ross finds along the way that her family’s ways aren’t always the best ways and never trust a thief applies to her family as well. This story was action-packed and engaging throughout, ready for book two!

This book hooked me right away. A teenage thief who wants to get away from her family to be a normal teenager? A will they or won’t they relationship? Will they betray each other or stay loyal? This book has all of that. I cannot wait for the second installment as I read this one in a day!